Toy.



T. J. RATCHFORD.

TOY.

APPLICATION FILED 1AN.15. Isla.

v 8 1 9. 11. KUH 1W". ls Amc.. 0H E Mw. t2 w Lm P n n., 1.1.4143. um

f a ffof j er L/offzg T. J. RATCHFORD.

l Tov.

APPLICATION FILED JAN15| 1918.

LQSLSSG. Patented ome. 15, 1918,.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

THOMAS J.' aarcnroan, or BRYANT, soUrH DAKOTA.

- TOY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

raamt-eu oet. i5, 1era.

Application led January 15, 1918. 'Serial No. 211,803.

To all 'whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. RATGE- FoRD, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Bryant, county 0f Hamlin,

` State of South Dakota, have invented new and useful Improvements in Toys, of which the following is a specification, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to toys, and has par'-,

ticular reference to that class oftoys actuated by means of clock-work or similar motive power, and has for its principal object the production of a figure'toy carrying two or more figures in such position and manner that as one of the figures advances in'an upright position, the other figure apparently retreats and falls backward, and the especial adaptation of my improvement bears upon the production of a toy utilizing the aforesaid principles in such a way as to show the conquering or defeat pf one of the figures by the opposing figure.

A further object is to produce such toy in a cheap, substantial and attractive form.

With these objects in view, attention. is called to the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the arrangement of the different parts of the toy, including the actuating mechanism, and showing the figures in upright position, one ready for attack, the .other in a defensive attitude;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1`, showing the figures after the attack, the attacking figure advancing, and the defensive figure reeling backward; 1

. Fig. 3 is a plan view showing the mounting of the figures;

Fig. 4 is a detail of the actuating mechanism communicating with the aforesaid mounting mentioned in Fig. 3.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, in its preferred construction my improved toy consists of an attacking gure 1, and a defensive figure 2, the attacklng figure being equipped with an appropriate arm, such as a rifle and bayonet 3, and the defensive figure being equipped with an appropriate defensive weapon, such as the sword 4. The figures may be made to represent soldiers, or the figures may represent the presonification of two nations. The figure l is mounted upon, and rigidly attached to the sliding base 5 adapted to oscillate back and forth within the guides 6 and 6 mounted upon the top of the casing 7 The other figure 2 1s hlngedly mounted at the opposite side of the caslng 7 by means of the pin 8 passing through the foot portion 9 of said figure 2,

said pin 8 being ]ournaled in the casing 7.

`A cord 10 connects the foot 11 of the attacking figure 1 with the toe 12 of the defensive figure 2, and is of such length that when the attacking figure l is drawn fully backward, said cord 10 pulls the defensive" figure 2 upward and forward into an upright position as shown in-Fig. 1; and when the sald attacking figure 1 is advanced forward upon its sliding base 5, the cord 10 is also advanced, the strain whereof being withdrawn from the toe 12 of the figure 2,

' said figure 2 falls and reels over backward.

The figure 2 is so weighted and poised upon th*I pm 8 as to readily accomplish this resu t.

Immediately below the sliding base 5 as mounte'd upon the casing 7, I cut the slot 13 through the to of said casing 7 and I rigidly secure. to t e under side of the sliding base 5' in such position that same will play back and forth through and along said slot 13, a connecting link 14 adapted to engagethe end 15 of a coil spring 16, the other end'17 of said coil spring being secured interiorly to the end of the casing 7 immediately beneath the figure 1. The action of this spring 16 is such as to normally retain and hold the figures 1 and 2 in upright position as shown in Fig. 1. On the under side of said sliding base 5, in front of and in alinement with said connecting link 14, I rigidly attach the rack 18. This rack 18 meshes with a half gear wheel 19, which half gear wheel isy actuated by clockwork mechanism 20 in such manner as to normally propel the sliding base 5 forward along the top of the casing 7 through the guide-ways 6 and 6. However, an intermittent action is imparted to said half gear wheel 19 by means of the wei hted escapement lever 21, one finger 22 o which plays along and into the teeth 23 of the escapement wheel 24, said escapement wheel 24 having gear connection with the half gear wheel 19, which halfgear wheel 19 meshes, as aforesaid, with said rack 18. Any ordinary clock spring as 25 affords the ower necessary to drive the mechanism. lSJaid clock spring may be wound by means of a key 26.

In operation, the clock spring 25 is wound up by turning the key 26, whereby power is transmitted to the half gear wheel 19, an intermittent eilect being produced through the action of the weighted escapement lever 21. This intermittent action of the half gear wheel 19 is transmitted to the rack 18, forcing the said rack and the sliding base 5 forwardly by. intermittent jerks or lunges, producing the effect in the figures 1 and 2 ot' a lunging attack by said figure 1 upon said ligure 2. The gear portion ot' the half gear wheel 19 equals the length of the rack 18, so that as the half gear wheel 19 revolves. the last gear of the same coincides with the end of the rack 18, and the half gear wheel 19 continuing to revolve, the cut-away portion 27 of the half gear wheel 19 falls adjacent to the said end of the rack 18, whereby said rack 18 being left free, the coil spring 16 draws the rack 18 back again into its original position, and the {igures 1 and 2 follow and reassume their original upright attitude. The half gear wheel 19 continuing to revolve, the gears thereof come again into mesh With the rack 18, and the action of the figures is repeated over and over until the clock spring 25 runs down.

While I have herein described a ycertain speciic manner and method of assembling the elements of my said invention, it is understood I may vary from the same in minor details, not departing from the spirit of my invention, so as best to embody the principles of my invention in a practical and attractive form.

lVhat I claim to be new and patentable is:

1. A toy comprising a casing; a motive mechanism located in the casing; an intermittent gear and rack attachment connected to thc motive mechanism; a sliding base mounted on the casing and connected to said intermittent gear and rack; a spring to normally draw said sliding base to one side of the casing; a figure mounted upon said sliding base; an opposing ligure hingedly mounted at the other side of the casing; and a connection between the two figures synchronizing their motions. i

2. A toy comprising the combination of two movable figures; Aa connecting link to synchronize the motions of the figures; a spring to normally hold the' figures in one position; and an intermittent mechanism to normally force said figures in the opposite direction.

3. A toy comprising the combination of a case; a sliding base mounted thereon at one side; a figure rigidly mounted on the sliding base; an opposing igure hingedly mounted upon the other side of the case; a connecting link to synchronize the motions of the Iigure; a spring to normal-ly hold said sliding base back in one position; and an intermittent. mechanism attached to and controlling and normally forcing said sliding base forwardly against the action of the spring.

THOMAS J. RATCHFORD.

Witnesses:

L. A. GAGE,

HARRY FAIRCHILD. 

